More Than Friends Part One
by Elise Marie
Summary: Major Evan Lorne has dedicated his life to his career, putting his personal life aside for the greater good even if it does mean missing out on the love of his family. Until he realises that the people he works with are all far more than friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: More Than Friends

**Category**: Lorne/OC Friendship, UST, Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort. Anything else? Possibly.

**Spoilers/Season:** Starts during Stargate SG-1 Season 7 with some scenes directly linked to my mainline More Than: More Than You. It carries on through season 8, and then into Atlantis from season 2 onwards. Similar to the later instalments of More Than, this story follows the episodes either by description or by chapter title.

**Rating**: PG13

**Content Warnings:** Maybe some mild peril, canon character death, mild graphic mind torture. Mentions of near-attempted rape. Some minor bad language.

**Summary:** Major Evan Lorne has dedicated his life to his career, putting his personal life aside for the greater good even if it does mean missing out on the love of his family. Until he realises that the people he works with are all far more than friends.

**Disclaimer: Stargate, SG-1 and Atlantis are the property of Showtime, MGM, Double Secret and Gekko and they do not belong to the author. This piece of fan-fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was exchanged. No copyright infringement was intended and the original characters, situations and plots are property of the author. This piece of fan-fiction must not be archived without the author's consent.**

**Comments:** The More Than Universe spins off from canon after Entity and this story is similar to More Than Mini, More Than You, etc where I am taking it episode by episode through SG1 season seven to Atlantis season 5! This is now technically an alternate universe and this story follows the friendship of Major Evan Lorne and the original character Lieutenant Nicola Carpenter. If you don't like her, or OCs in general, please don't read. Also, due to the nature of the original More Than fics, there are elements of Sam/Jack in here. Certain canon events are altered due to Carpenter's presence, others stay the same (Heroes, not sure yet about Sunday).

Part One follows Stargate SG-1 through season 7 and the main More Than story, MT6: More Than You. I will indicate wherever necessary the order with the Stargate Story. The first part technically follows SG-1 episodes but because of Lorne's importance over on Atlantis, I'm counting it as a crossover.

**Previously:** Due to complications within SG-1, Lieutenant Nicola Carpenter became an alternate fifth member of the team with an archaeological background. During an unauthorised mission to rescue Sam from the clutches of Osiris, SG-1 were tortured by Osiris who had taken Sam as a host. It was during this torture that Sam/Osiris killed Nicola before reviving her in a sarcophagus. When they returned safely with Major Carter, the base was tested for a suspected Zatarc, but none was found.

**More Than Friends**

**Episode Setting: **After Entity

Nervously she remained sitting at the large briefing room table, Nicola's eyes darting between the other three sitting around her. She had heard about the Stargate Program only a few months before her new posting and as soon as she had realised there might be some truth in it, Nicola had set her mind on getting there. Lieutenant Nicola Carpenter had only ever joined the military because her father had practically forced it on her. After a harrowing mission left Nicola questioning everything she had done in life, she had strongly considered quitting the Air Force. Until Cheyenne Mountain had been mentioned. There had been rumours at the academy about elite officers getting a posting at the large underground base, including people with odd backgrounds. Much to her father's dismay, Nicola's love had never been for the Air Force, but had been for archaeology and languages, studying history. She had been on a downward spiral into severe depression when someone had whispered in her ear that there may be a job which would please both her father and herself.

As soon as she got the letter through, Nicola had packed her few meagre belongings and waited to see what the exact posting was. Never in a million years would she have imagined that the exact posting was to the unit's flagship team. Lieutenant Nicola Carpenter was sitting at a table with the other three members of SG-1. She was eager to learn and finally hoped that this could be the place that would make her happy.

The general of the base, General Hammond, had already introduced her to the rest of the team and left them all to it. Major Samantha Carter was well known at the academy from her guest lectures and near unbeatable record. Teal'c was an alien Jaffa that Nicola was yet to fully learn about and she had to try and stop her eyes from watching him for too long as she watched all three members of SG-1. Directly opposite her was Doctor Daniel Jackson, whose reputation also already preceded him, but only because of his archaeological background. She was kind of pleased that his being laughed out of Academia all those years ago was not the end of him and that he was actually more important than any other living archaeologist. It was a career that she could only ever hope to emulate.

Doctor Jackson was also the only person sitting along the other side of the briefing table that had a smile on his face. Major Carter looked pale and glum. Teal'c looked… Nicola had no idea how to describe the only alien she had ever met before.

"Well," the major finally said after the longest silence. "I'll see you all at briefing. Next mission briefing is tomorrow." As the major stood, so did Nicola as a mark of respect for the more senior officer. As Nicola watched Major Carter depart, she sat back down just as Teal'c stood and nodded his head before leaving. There must have been a look of confusion on her face.

"We're normally a lot friendlier than this," Daniel apologised and Nicola met his eyes.

"Oh, I don't really mind."

"We've been a team with Colonel O'Neill for almost four years. His departure was quite abrupt." Nicola nodded, not particularly concerned with the politics. She was on the team to do a job and that was all that mattered. She worried then that due to the civilian-military mixture on base that she would be expected to make friends. Nicola did not make friends. "But, we're a nice team other than that. Teal'c is usually that quiet though."

"He's an…"

"Alien? Yes. Looks imposing, but really a big giant teddy bear. He'll make you watch Star Wars over and over though."

Nicola smiled politely. Lieutenant Nicola Carpenter, of SG-1, did not need friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Roughly Three Years Later**

Sitting back in his new desk chair, Major Evan Lorne put his feet up on the desk in front of him, crossed his arms behind his head and smiled almost smugly. Despite their shared engineering background, Evan found himself easily able to tease some of his new team members as if he were the jock to their geeks in school. Ritter was alright, but Menard was far too easy a mark. Evan had only been put in a team with them for a short time and there first mission was coming up. As a specifically engineering unit, SG-11 was about to head out to P3X-403 to start mining the viable planet for its Naquadah. It was not going to be any of their first times off-world, but it was going to be their first time off-world for an extended period of time and as a team all together.

"You're such an easy mark, Menard!" Evan laughed and watched Ritter laugh just a little bit.

In response Menard shook his head in exasperation. "How long am I about to be stuck off-world with you?"

Evan laughed even harder. "That's why we'll become like your family. Imagine if we didn't get along?"

"You think this is us getting along?" Menard smiled and Evan chuckled, distracted by the conversation and not noticing Colonel Edwards, SG-11's CO entering their team office.

As he passed Evan, Edwards gently but firmly thwacked him across the back of the head. "Get your feet off the damn table. Just because we spend most of our time here, doesn't mean you can treat it like home." Evan dropped his arms and feet down, leaning forward onto his almost clear desk. "What have you been doing to Menard this time?"

"Nothing," he smiled.

"More juvenile pranks then?"

"I can't help myself, sir," Evan explained.

"Well, make sure you don't indulge your weakness on our mission, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"And maybe take it easy on the verbal abuse. Out there, Menard won't be able to go running to his mommy."

"Hey!" Menard objected as the other three men laughed. It might have only been a few weeks, but Evan already liked his team. During his childhood, Evan had always been close with his parents and younger sister despite the academy preventing him from seeing them as often as he might have liked, the men he served with quickly became a surrogate family. Neither of his parents had been military, but neither of them had any problem with him joining the Air Force. Evan's mum's only real concern was that he had never brought a girlfriend home to meet them. Evan had no time for girlfriends or relationships, brief flings were far more his style.


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter immediately follows chapter 7 of "More Than You", the 6th in a Stargate SG-1 based fic predominantly based around a Sam/Jack relationship. It can be found both on here and my own website._

**Episode Setting: Enemy Mine (SG-1)**

"You okay there, Lieutenant?" He asked across the cart of artefacts found. Lorne was still trying to adjust to what he had seen earlier when they had stumbled across a collection of warning pyres; one included the mutilated body of Lieutenant Ritter. SG-11 in its current line-up had only been together for a few weeks and the mining mission to 403 was their first where there had been real cohesion. He had felt it before on previous tours of duty – it was inevitable when people spent twenty four hours a day together in the name of work. Not only had Lorne felt this close to colleagues before, he had also lost colleagues before. Ritter felt different.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Major?" A look of embarrassment crossed Major Lorne's face and then he cringed. She immediately blushed and Lorne instantly felt for the junior officer. Lieutenant Carpenter had been a member of the Stargate Program for at least a few years, Lorne knew and he could only imagine what she had actually seen during her time. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't-"

He cut her off: "I guess I deserve that."

She leaned over the cart and in a hushed voice whispered, "If it helps, not just a few months ago, I… was sick at the sight of a, uh, body." It was still mortifying that he had vomited upon seeing his team mate and friend stung up like a piece of meat. It was embarrassing and unprofessional.

Lorne nodded in understanding, attempting to ignore the fact that she was a junior officer and he should be the one to set an example to her. "Glad I'm not the only one. How's Doctor Jackson?" he asked, glancing over at the archaeologist and changing the subject. Jackson was unhappy with SG-11 for moving objects they had found on the planet. Apparently it was some sort of standing order to not move anything and then call him in. Colonel Edwards had not followed those rules and now Jackson seemed peeved. Lorne did not really care, although with hindsight perhaps they should have followed Jackson's standing orders.

"Concerned. He's had prolonged contact with a member of the Unas." Lorne was not up to date on the entire back catalogue of alien races in the galaxy, but he knew what they had done to Ritter.

"You saw what they did to Ritter. No man deserves that."

"They are still sentient beings who were defending their territory. It doesn't change the fact, but it perhaps means that we shouldn't go in guns blazing."

"You think that's what Colonel Edwards is doing?"

"Wouldn't you in grief for a member of your own team?"

"I've lost people before, Lieutenant," he said slightly harshly. "I'd like to think we're all professional enough to deal with an enemy appropriately."

"That's my argument, Major," she snapped back politely. "They're not our enemy. They're an alien race with a very different way of life. We encroached on their territory and they responded the only way they know after centuries of subjugation at the hands of the Goa'uld and humans. If we simply go in now with guns blazing more people will get hurt on both sides. Sometimes discussion is the best course of action. Although, if you ever come across a Goa'uld, discussion rarely works." She smiled and tried to diffuse the tension and Lorne considered her. Lieutenant Carpenter was probably about ten years younger than him, but she seemed wiser than she should.

"I think there should be a beginners course in all the aliens."

"Maybe there should." They both smiled.

"What does everyone from the base do for fun?"

"There is a bar that most frequent."

"Most? Not you?"

"I go sometimes. I think Friday is the usual night. Everyone's pretty nice. Just, uh, don't move any artefacts again." She grinned at him and he laughed a little.


	4. Chapter 4

Smiling at the parting female officer, Nicola's attention was brought to the bar in front of her as a drink was placed in front of her. She looked quizzically at what was actually two drinks and then she turned to her left; Major Lorne was smiling hesitantly from his seat next to her. "What are these for, sir?"

His eyes remained on the rows of bottles and glasses on the back wall of the bar when he answered her. "Sir? Really, off duty and with your opening comment to me?"

Cringing, Nicola remembered how she had reinforced to him the fact that he had vomited upon seeing his team-mate dead, hung up and left out as a warning. She had never spoken to Major Lorne before that moment, so for such a comment to have slipped from her lips was utterly out of character and embarrassing. Even with his dismissal of it, she had still been mortified and had spent hours questioning if it had been because of her increased friendliness with everyone. "I am sorry about that."

"No need to be." She studied his profile and saw his lips curl up into a smile. Somehow she felt at ease.

"Okay, so what's with the drinks…?" She trailed off, realising that she was not sure of his first name. A blush crept up her cheeks.

Spinning on his seat, Lorne held his right hand out to her. "Evan." Taking his hand and shaking it, Nicola could not help the smile. In an attempt to hide it, she took her original bottle of beer and took a mouthful as he then answered her. "I figured I owed you a drink and I didn't know if you were a beer or wine kind of girl."

Motioning to the bottle from which she was drinking, he nodded and Nicola thought she saw a slight blush colour his cheeks. It made her feel that little bit more at ease with him. "Why'd you owe me a drink?"

"My actions on the mission, weren't exactly … pleasant or decent."

Her brow furrowed. "Anger's a part of all of us and you lost a team-mate and friend. If you hadn't have been angry, I'd've seen it as indecent."

His eyes turned to her again, ending their shameful staring at the rows of bottles. "I didn't just mean that."

Nodding in understanding, Nicola gave a small smile. "Thank you for the drinks." Finishing off her beer, she moved onto the beer bought for her. "As for the other thing… You're not the first."

"No, but I'm a Major and should be better prepared."

"You were on a simple mission. Without any chance of someone dying. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like that before. Especially not someone I knew." The image of Ritter hanging from a warning pyre, blood staining him came into her mind and morphed in to another scene of blood and death, one that Nicola kept buried most of the time. Eyeing the second bottle of beer and twisting it between her fingers, Nicola had a sudden desperate need to down it all in one go.

"What did you see?" His voice was quiet and if he had not been looking at her, waiting for an answer, Nicola could have believed she had imagined his words.

"On another mission, someone was tortured, physically disfigured. Wasn't pretty." Ignoring her internal protestations, Nicola gulped down a little bit too much of the beer than she should. "You get used to it here."

"I'd rather not." After a short pause, he spoke again. This time the smile was back in his voice. "Let's start this conversation over. Hi, my name's Evan."

He was holding his right hand out again and she looked across at him, his mouth and eyes smiling infectiously so as she shook his hand back, Nicola smiled in return. "I'm Nicola."

"Nic or Nicki for short?"

"Not in a long time by anyone else but family really." Her ex lab-buddy Jonas Quinn had taken to calling her Nic on occasion, but she barely had contact with him since his return to Kelowna.

"I'm new to the area, just been posted here, what's there fun to do?"

Unable to prevent herself from grinning at Lorne's words, Nicola actually laughed very slightly. "I work long hours; all I see is the office, home and the local swimming pool."

"I'll have to race you one day."

"Just been posted here?" she repeated. "Flyboy then?"

"Yes, ma'am." Both turning in unison at someone calling Nicola's name, she smiled apologetically at Lorne.

"Excuse me, I have to go catch up with someone."

"No problem."

Quickly downing her beer, Nicola then picked up the glass of wine and walked past Lorne, pausing on the other side of him. She leaned in toward his ear, taking a moment to inhale his scent before almost brazenly whispering: "Thanks for the wine, I usually only drink it with a meal." Unsure if it was the alcohol or something else propelling her forward down an almost flirtatious path, Nicola was unprepared for when Lorne suddenly turned ever so slightly, bringing their faces incredibly close together.

"I'll remember that for future reference."

Ignoring the self-conscious feeling and dry throat his eyes boring into hers caused, Nicola forced confidence into her voice. "I look forward to it." As she walked off, Nicola's hips took on a mind of their own and swayed slightly more than they normally would. She could feel his eyes on her and almost kind of liked it.


	5. Chapter 5

What had used to be a place of laughter and fun, Evan now found SG-11's team office a far more depressing state of affairs. Of the four desks, two were haphazardly covered in papers and files – they were true, proper working desks – one was still meticulously neat and could only belong to Menard, whilst the fourth desk was completely barren. Every time Evan entered the room he could not help but look straight at it. Even though Menard had been at the brunt of most of his teasing, Evan had never left Ritter out. Ritter was dead now; Evan sighed as he contemplated grabbing the files he needed and taking them to the commissary to read.

Taking a tiny step into the room, Evan heard a snuffling noise and looked over at Menard's desk. "Oh," Evan stumbled, "Sorry. Didn't realise you were in here."

Turning and taking off his glasses, hiding his face from Evan, Menard seemed to be rubbing at his eyes. "Come to do paperwork?"

"Yeah, I should do some at some point. You?"

"Was trying, yes." Menard replaced his glasses, but remained turned away from Evan. It was obvious that the lieutenant was upset and Evan did not think it such a wild guess to assume it was because of Ritter.

"Look, Menard-" The younger man cut him off.

"With all due respect, Major, I really don't need any of your usual comments. Not right now." Menard glared at Evan and he saw the anger and sadness in his eyes.

"I'd never dream of it. Do you know why I tease you? Why I teased Ritter?" Menard shook his head, his eyes back on his own desk. "I have a younger sister and I love her to bits, but still tease her. It's just what I've always done, my way of showing I love her." He paused wistfully for a second before continuing, "She has a young child and I can't wait to be the fun, teasing uncle. Except I never get to see any of them. I joined the academy and it became my family. SG-11 became my family."

Menard sniffed again. "I get that none of it's ever been vindictive, but it was all I got at school, at the academy. I guess I'd always hoped that joining the Air Force I'd stop being the geek."

"We're all geeks here. One big happy geek family."

"Without Ritter."

Evan nodded to himself. "I know we've both got reports to read, to finish and what-not, but what do you say we head to the commissary. We can grab something to eat, maybe talk about Ritter." He walked over to Menard and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in a comforting, but manly, way. "Come on."

"I just don't… He's really dead. And it was for nothing. Daniel Jackson successfully negotiated with the Unas. He never needed to die."

Patting him on the back all Evan could do was nod in agreement. "I know."


	6. Chapter 6

Turning a corner in the SGC, Evan bumped straight into whoever was leaving the gym. "Sorry," he apologised before actually looking at his victim. "Lieutenant," he greeted with a smile.

"Major Lorne, sorry I didn't see you there."

"I should have been paying attention."

"Yeah, but I'm the disgusting sweaty one."

Unable to prevent a smirk, Evan was at least able to restrain the comment that he wanted to make. It was only a few days after the mission where he had first encountered Nicola Carpenter and after their short conversation at the local bar. "Could be worse."

Her eyes met his and he was sure there was a blush underneath her reddened cheeks. She had already changed from her gym session, her hair wet either from a shower or still from sweat. "Yes, sir, well, I won't hold you up."

She started to move past him and Evan found himself fighting the urge to physically stop her. Instead he continued speaking. "Are you heading to the bar later?" It was the hang out of the majority of SGC personnel. Evan had only been posted to Stargate Command for a very short period, but he was already a regular in the bar, enjoying the camaraderie of all those that frequented the place. He was sure that he had seen Nicola there a few times before he had any reason to speak to her.

"Was planning on it."

"Do you, uh, do you need a ride?"

"If you don't mind."

"I'll meet you up top at eighteen hundred hours?" With a stiff nod, Nicola continued past him and Evan could not help but smile in satisfaction. Refusing to watch her walk away, Evan's mind could see her walking away from him the other night in the bar and that was all that he needed. After the mission and what he had seen and done, he had only approached her in the bar to apologise and show his gratitude, but that had changed at some point when he had been sitting with her. Perhaps it was seeing her outside of work, in the simple jeans and t-shirt she had worn, but he had felt an instant attraction as he sat next to her. He would ignore any attraction to her, because despite his penchant for flings, Evan never let it get close to work. Unfortunately their conversation had moved on to unpleasant topics and he still regretted that error of his. Looking forward to eighteen hundred hours, Evan headed into the gym for his planned session, hoping that his conversations with Nicola later would not lead on to such unpleasant topics.


End file.
